Der Riese
by MC Bossk and DJ-88
Summary: A promise made is a promise kept. Dr. Richtofen must keep a promise made a long time ago to the two people who helped him escape in the first hours of the zombie apocalypse. Will he survive? Or die in the atempt.  sry, I suck at summaries.
1. The Escape

WARNING THIS STORY CONTAINS: Violence, Zombies, Gay Romance, not very crazy!RichtofenxNikolai, slight TakeoxDempsey and slight if not full blown incest between two brothers (more apparent in the upcoming chapter three). If any of this you don't like, do not read, do not comment, and just leave now. Otherwise enjoy the story.

"Run fastah! Zey are gaining!" Richtofen yelled as he and two Wehrmacht soldiers, Chadrick and Barrett Haff ran away from a horde of zombie scientists and guards. Both are brothers Chadrick being tall, well built, blond hair, blue eyes, the perfect German soldier. And Barrett is rather small, thin, chocolate brown hair, and emerald green eyes. That is all Richtofen noticed of them before they were running at full speed through Der Riese, a testing facility, trying to escape an experiment gone very wrong. While Chadrick cut down any zombie with his STG-44 that got in their way Barrett covered their rear with his MP-40. And Richtofen blasted anything that got through them with his Walther PPK. When Barrett finished off the pursuing zombies they stopped, huffing and puffing from all the running.

"Ve can rest for ze moment… I vill come up vis a plan." Said Richtofen as he walks over to a window and opens it to get fresh air. As soon as he does sounds of gunfire, screaming, explosions, and a slight metallic smell flood his senses. Chadrick did a quick sweep of the area, occasionally putting a round into a still breathing zombie, then when he was finished, made his way over to his brother who is slumped against a wall across from Richtofen. Barrett is shivering slightly, his lip quivering as he holds back tears. Chadrick eases next to his brother and drapes an arm around his shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Barrett cuddled up to his older brother, taking comfort from his touch.

"I had to kill zem… all mein friends…" A deep sigh came from Chadrick; he then pulled his younger brother closer to him (if it was possible) and kisses his helmeted head.

"I understand. I… I had to kill Hans as vell…" Barrett's' eyes shot up at that. Hans is… well… was Chadricks' best friend since basic training. They were almost inseparable…

"Chadrick… I am zo sorry…" Chadrick nodded solemnly and rested his head on his brothers', pushing his helmet up a little in the process. Richtofen took in the sight for a moment before returning his gaze out into the courtyard. The gunfire and explosions have almost all become silent by now, but by the look of the shambling forms occasionally seen through other windows or shadows as they pass a light or a fire, it wasn't promising in the favor of the living Germans. He then looked across the courtyard to a large structure/tower where a single Teleporter waited, by the looks of it, on standby. The problem being all the zombies that would be attracted to the large power source, but it's the only way out aside from the others but those are still prototypes and would most likely just teleport them somewhere randomly, but the one working one could not transport all three of them. That would take careful calculations and balancing of energies that would take too long.

Of course Richtofen had no quarrels with him escaping and leaving these two to die but something deep inside him told him that sometime later, they will be needed. And since this feeling has kept him alive so far, he is willing to listen to it. But how to get through all the possible zombies…

"I've got it!" He suddenly shouted, startling the two brothers. "Ze vundervaffa DG-2!" He then rounded on the brothers. "I need you escort me to ze science lab." Seeing as he was the highest ranking person there at the moment they had little choice. They untangled themselves of one another and got up, readying their weapons.

Progress was slow as the zombies seemed to become more and more numerous the further they went into the facility, at one point zombie dogs started appearing through unnatural anomalies followed by a loud banging sound. They survived and made hast to the science wing of the building, and upon arriving were met with about sixty former scientists now zombified. During the fighting Richtofen yelled.

"Vait here, I vill return!" And then took off down a hallway leaving the brothers to defend themselves in the experiment chamber. When there was a lull in the wave of zombies Barrett was practically sobbing as he had killed even more people whose faces he knew. He fell to his knees.

"Nein… nein more… I cannot take it." He then turned his grief riddled eyes to Chadrick. "Big brozer, make zem stop… please make zem stop…" After sweeping his STG in an arch around the room, Chadrick knelt down next to his brother and pulled him close with his free arm but kept his other hand on his weapon. Barrett sobbed into his brothers' chest, beyond scarred. Of course he had killed before on the western front but now he was being forced to kill the people he worked with, the people he befriended, it was too much for the eighteen year old.

Before any soothing words could be said however, screeching came down from a darkened hallway to their right. Chadrick immediately put himself in front of his brother, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

*Cli-chuck*

Chadricks' eyes went wide, the gun had jammed. He was about to draw his sidearm when a slightly high pitched voice screeched.

"Get down!" Immediately Chadrick threw himself onto his brother, knocking them both to the dirty ground just as a bolt of lightning flew through the air they had just occupied and slammed into the running zombies. The electricity arched between the running zombies in the hallway, illuminating it for a few seconds before it became dark again followed by the pungent smell of burnt flesh, cloth, and hair. The brothers lifted their gazes to their savior, Richtofen, who stood in another doorway with a large grin on his face and an even larger, and glowing, weapon in his arms.

"Did you miss me?" Neither said a word as the got to their feet. Chadrick, after much yanking on the cocking mechanism, freed the jammed bullet from his STG. They then followed the doctor back the way they came but about halfway through, they took a left through the medical wing which was, in general, a horror movie nightmare with zombies getting up from beds, banging coming from the metal cabinets in which more zombies were trapped. By the time they were out Barrett was a nervous wreck, Chadrick being the only thing stopping him from putting his pistol to his head and ending it. Richtofen, however, was not as concerned as frustrated at Barrett but did not voice it. Even if he didn't have his PhD he could tell that Barrett being force into one traumatic situation after another was having a huge effect on him. He was surprised that he hadn't ended it already, and a part of him was wishing he would, just so the sobbing would stop. But then the other brother would probably take his own life as well leaving Richtofen alone, so it was a necessary nuisance.

Soon enough they came to the door that would lead them outside, so it was now the time to break the news. After only getting about halfway, Chadrick began yelling.

"Vat do you mean only vone can go zrough ze teleporter? Vat about us!" Richtofen frowned at the interruption.

"It vould take too long for me to recalibrate ze machine. Time ve do not have. Besides, ze controls are on ze zird floor, ve vouldn't make it. Und ze pad only has half power, ze svich is somevere I do not know. Zere is no more time!" Chadrick was about to yell at Richtofen when Barrett placed a shaky hand on his arm.

"Brozer… let him go." Both were shocked at Barrett. "Please brozer…"

Chadrick was speechless but nodded. Richtofen sighed but Barrett turned to him next.

"Und you vill return for us." It was an order that left no questions to be had. "Svear on it." Seeing that there was no other way he nodded.

"Ja, I svear to return." Satisfied Barrett checked his ammunition then lead the way into the courtyard with a new look of grim determination in his eyes.

Bullet and electricity bolts flew everywhere along with some grenades they had picked up along the way. Zombies, blood, and zombie body parts were flying everywhere as the group made their way to the transporter pad. Upon arrival Richtofen ran up to the controls and began looking at an indicator screen for any-and-all nearby receiver pads as the Haff brothers covered him from the incoming zombie horde. After pressing in the coordinates and other information required, a beeping noise of confirmation sounded over the shooting and yelling, signaling that the transporter acknowledged the information and was awaiting to be activated. Richtofen was halfway to the pad when he looked back at the brothers. Both of them fighting a losing battle as he made a cowardly escape. A moment of mental deliberation later, he made a decision. He rushed over to Barrett and, while he was quickly reloading, shoved the wunderwaffa DG-2 into his grasp. Barrett nodded, and dropped his MP-40, and began shooting lightening at the zombies. Richtofen picked up the MP-40, took an extra clip from Barrett real quickly then dashed into the teleporter.

The last thing he remembers seeing is the zombies coming at both brothers in a huge mass before he teleported.


	2. Welcome back Dr Richtofen

Dr. Edward Richtofen never thought he'd ever hear the name Der Riese ever again. But after a year, a year of joining a group of survivors, killing hundreds if not thousands of undead, of doing things and seeing things he never thought he'd ever do he had all but forgot about it. Until now that is…

"Hey guys… let's go this way." Richtofen looked at Dempsey, cut off from an interesting tale that Nikolai, his secret lover, was telling.

"Vat is it Dempshey? Anozer act of idiocy on your part ja?" The American turned and gave the Nazi a dirty look.

"Shut'dup you damn Nazi!" Nikolai rolled his eyes. He loved Richtofen, but befriending the American as well was not the best combination considering they hate each other, but it couldn't be helped.

"What is it comrade? What way you wish us to go?" Dempsey then pointed at a half destroyed sign. Immediately after seeing, Richtofens' blood ran ice cold and his already pale skin became even more so.

*9 km to Der Riese.* is what the almost destroyed sign read. Nikolai placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright comrade? You are more pale than usual." There was no response, only a look of horror. Nikolai then, out of concern, abandoned all secrecy and wrapped an arm around Richtofen.

"Edward, vat is wrong?" Takeo and Dempsey quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. Eyes still glued to the sign he said in an almost unheard tone.

"Ve are going to Der Riese…" Nikolais' eyes furrowed.

"Vat?" Richtofen turned to look at him and said in an emotionless voice.

"Ve are going to Der Riese. Let us get going, I vant plenty of search light left ven ve arrive." He then walked forward down the road, MP-40 in hand. The others were slightly shocked that Richtofen had agreed with Dempsey, for the first time in history. They would call it the end of the world but they're a little late for that.

Unfortunately they didn't make it before sundown and so took shelter in a shack about two km away. As Takeo and Dempsey boarded up the upstairs, Nikolai and Richtofen set up the small campsite inside the bottom floor of the building. After finishing Nikolai sat down on his sleeping bag with an audible sigh followed by Richtofen. Nikolai looked over to his lover. He was looking out of a window which faced in the direction of Der Riese, a glazed look over his eyes as if remembering something. Nikolai then got an idea. He pulled out one of his last few bottles of vodka and scooted over to the Nazis' sleeping bag.

"Would you like some wodka?" Richtofen broke from his trance and glanced at the bottle being offered to him.

"No zank you my Russian friend." And went back to looking out the window. Nicolai raised an eyebrow and nodded while trying to open the bottle.

"Hmmm… must be serious… you usually jump at chance for wodka." When he popped the top he pulled out a slightly cracked shot glass and poured in a small amount. He set down the bottle and again offered the shot of vodka to Richtofen.

"Come on… wodka make you feel better." Richtofen usually would point out that it was a depressant that would make you even more depressed but right now, he wasn't going to argue. He grabbed it, thanked Nikolai and downed it in one go. Nikolai smiled and happily refilled it to the brim.

After about two more shots the Nazi was wasted, just as Nikolai had planned. As he began to pour the third he began asking questions.

"So Edward… what about Der Riese make you so serious?" As he gave the shot to Richtofen, he replied.

"Zank *hiccup* you Ni-Ne-colin? Beh…" He downed it. "Ze reason I… the AMAZING RICHTOFEN…" He spread his arms out wide and above himself to emphasize himself. "Hate zat place… is because *hiccup* I made a promise… und just remembered it." He set down the shot glass but didn't ask for more vodka.

"I… I left zwei people *hic* behind… brozers… I zink… ze youngest vone *burb* made me promise to return…" Richtofen laid back onto the floor.

"So… what happen? They die?" Asked Nikolai, now general interested. Richtofen took off his hat and set it beside himself before continuing.

"As far as I know… maybe… I last remember zem *hic* zey vere covering mein escape into ze teleporter… over a year *hic* ago…" Nikolai now understood.

"Oh…" He looked into the fire for a few moments. Adding a few sticks before continuing. "You think they still alive?" Richtofen sighed a drunken sigh.

"Maybe… I gave zem mein vundervaffa DG *hiccup* 2… zey should have been fine until zey run out of element 115… but I do not zink zey even knew how to reload ze charge. *Hic* zere vas no time to explain…" Richtofen sat up and changed positions until his head was situated where Nikolais' leg became a pillow.

"I vas… *hiccup* a coward… I should have tried to find ze extra power svich… I should have made a *hic-hic-hiccup* bigger effort…" Nikolai laid a wrapped up hand onto Richtofens' head and patted.

"Eez not your fault. If there vas no time, there vas no time. Nothing could be done. Besides, what done is done. Look on bright side, they might be there still." Richtofen nodded. Dozing slightly.

"Ja…" A few minutes passed in silence before he spoke again.

"Nikolai?" Nikolai looked down at him.

"Da?" Another slight pause.

"Can I sleep vith you tonight? Please?" Nikolai didn't reply. He re-corked his vodka and put it back into his bag then took off his boots, head wrapping, hat, and then took off Richtofens' boots for him. He then lay down and pulled Richtofen onto his chest and held him as they both slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, after sleeping upstairs, neither Takeo nor Dempsey said a word as they woke up and came down stairs to find Richtofen on top of Nikolai, dead asleep.

As the group neared Der Riese it was clear that Richtofen was very nervous, maybe even afraid, of what they would find. So much so that as they neared the front gates he was gripping Nikolai's hand in his tightly.

They entered into the courtyard first after finding a way inside and found literally a mound of charred zombie remains.

Richtofen walked up to the mountain of burn bodies and examined them closely. He then noticed that one had a specific scorch mark in the middle of its chest. Out of curiosity he checked a few more bodies. Though the scorch mark wasn't always in the same place it was definitely on every one. After kneeling down and checking one more, Richtofen shared what he found.

"Zis is ze verk of mein vundervaffa…" He announced. Only Nikolai understood.

"So… Does this mean they are alive?" Asked Nikolai, Richtofen shrugged.

"I vould have to get to ze top of ze pile und see ze latest kill. Cover me." Richtofen shouldered his MP-40 and, as soon as he found a firm enough hand hold and foot hold, he began to climb up. When Nikolai noticed that Takeo and Dempsey hadn't moved he yelled.

"Vhat are you waiting for? Cover him!" Instantly the trio began to patrol around the base of the 2 story mound of undead bodies, making sure that no more zombies came around.

Halfway up Richtofens' senses were filled with the extremely pungent smell of rotting corpses and blood along with the smell of burnt flesh. It made his stomach churn but he continued on, the need to know almost shoving him up the mound of bodies and soon enough he reached the top corpse. This one did not look as rotten like the others; it looked quite fresh, well as fresh as a former walking corpse could be. It, as did all the others, had the same scorch mark even. But the thing that got him excited the most is that it only looked a few days old and the sign of rot just beginning on the more clear parts of exposed flesh.

Something moved in the corner of Nikolai's vision. He trained his PPSH-41 up at the window but nothing was there. He frowned. Richtofen was taking a long time and this place just felt… wrong. The air, aside from the obvious stenches, was dead. No breeze. When they had entered there had been a fair breeze because of their closeness to the English Channel but now… the air is dead. Now that he thinks about it, there are no sounds other than their footsteps echoing off of the walls. No bugs, birds, not even any sounds of a zombie if there are any alive could be heard. The feeling itself is unsettling.

"Nazi! Hurry up, this place is giving me heeby jeebies!" Nikolai called up. There was no response. This worried him. "Richtofen! Are you alright?" Still no response. He marched around the pile to get the others but before he knew it he was back to where he had been, no sign of Dempsey or Richtofen anywhere. Now he was very worried. "Dempsey! Where are you?" No response. "Takeo, you rat, where the hell are you?" Again the unnatural silence took over. Nikolai readied his weapon. "Dis is not funny!" Suddenly the walls echoed with the sound of a little girl laughing but that transformed into a hideous and deep laugh. Then it stopped. A loud screeching sound then filled the air. Nikolai swung his PPSH towards a pair of iron double doors on the other side of the courtyard. The screeching stopped.

*BANG* a large dent appeared in the iron door. A clock tower bell rang in the distance.

*BANG* another large dent appeared in the iron double doors followed by screaming and yelling.

"To hell with dis!" Nikolai shouldered his weapon and drew his knife and lunged at the pile of bodies. Using his knife to gain purchase, he began climbing the hill of bodies stepping, grabbing, and stabbing his way to the top. A sound only equal to an explosion sounded throughout the courtyard as the zombie horde bashed it down followed by runners screaming in rage and hunger towards Nikolai.

Nikolai jammed his knife in a dead zombies' chest and drew his pistol. He twisted around, aimed down at a few of the quicker ones climbing and opened fire, their heads exploding in a spray of blood and brain chunks. He then grabbed the gun by the teeth and continued climbing up the pile of bodies as fast as he could but it didn't seem like he was getting anywhere. Suddenly a hand grabbed his boot and tugged.

"Off of me demon spawn!" Nikolai twisted around pistol in hand and fired his three remaining rounds into its head. And just as another went to grab at him he kicked out sending it flying down the pile and into three other climbing zombies. Nikolai then tossed the now useless pistol away and scrambled up to the very top at last. And there was Richtofen looking up surprised from a dead corpse he was examining. He was about to as Nikolai what was wrong when a few zombies began climbing onto the top as well. Nikolai's gun practically jumped into his hands as he turned around, aimed, and fired, a spray of bullets cutting down the zombies. After he reloaded Richtofen backed into Nikolai, now back to back, and fighting the undead as they kept climbing over their dead brethren and up to the two soldiers. When a zombie got to close one of them would kick it down the pile and into other ones causing a chain reaction but that was only a temporary solution. Nikolai looked around themselves trying to find a way to escape, as the zombies became harder and harder to push back as their numbers started to overwhelm Nikolai and Richtofen. Suddenly he sees a crane not too far away, and not too far away from that a certain dirty Jap was slashing left and right with his katana.

"TAKEO!" After dispatching his last zombie, Takeo looked over the edge of the building he was on and saw them. "USE THE DAMN CRANE AND SAVE US YOU DIRTY-" He was cut off when a zombie crawler grabbed his foot. Takeo looked to the side at the controls as Russian curses and more gunfire came from down below. He rushed over to them and began to fiddle around with the controls, trying to figure out how to work the crane as more and more zombies crested and charged at the two.

Just as they were beginning to lose a crane hook appeared between them. Nikolai stepped onto the hook and grabbed the rope while using his other free hand to shoot his PPSH-41, then almost at the same time Richtofen launched himself at Nikolai and wrapped his arms around him as they were lifted into the air and away from the zombies below them which now screamed in rage at missing their prey. Richtofen was how clinging to Nikolai's neck with his long legs wrapped around the Russians' waist. Nikolai now put the strap of his weapon around his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Richtofen to keep him secure around him.

The crane then moved over to the building Takeo was on and the rope lowered them down to it, a small smile on his face. When they touched the ground Nikolai stepped off of the hook and Richtofen let go of Nikolai. After straightening his uniform, Richtofen thanked Takeo then elbowed Nikolai in the ribs.

"Thank him Nikolai." Nikolai grumbled.

"Thank… you…" Nikolai crossed his arms. Takeo bowed, but it didn't hide that huge damned smile Nikolai could see he had on his face. Though he was back to his own neutral self when he stood up. Then Richtofen asked the million dollar question.

"Vere is zat idiot Dempshey?" They looked at Takeo but he shook his head. That was until a voice came from behind them.

"I *wheeze* know vere zey… *wheeze* took your friend…" They turned around guns, and sword, drawn.

"Who are you, where demons take friend?" Yelled Nikolai.

If it wasn't for the strap on Richtofens' MP-40 it would have clattered to the ground as his arms went lip at his sides. The voice was coming from a shadow outline inside a doorway leading into the building. A high pitched electrical whine filled the air followed by a large flash of red electricity. The flash faded and standing there, illuminated in red light from a very different looking WonderWaffa DG-2, was Barrett. Or, by the looks of it, what was left of him. A small smile plaid over his thin pale lips.

"Mein name is Barrett Haff. Und velcome back Doctor Richtofen, it's been a long time."


End file.
